Lie to Me: A Mermaid Tail

Chapter 17- Having a Seizure in the Air

I walked out of math class, moping, when I felt an arm drape around my shoulder. I didn't even bother to lift it off or see who it was. I instantly knew who it was. His warmth seeped through me as he kissed me on the top of my head.

"Hey, Nate," I said tiredly. "I have gym next and I don't know how I'm gonna get out of this one." He grimaced and shrugged. 

"Good luck Ariel," he said, smiling. "Don't get wet." He walked away as I turned a corner into the gym. 

"Ah, Ms. Montgomery. You are not getting out of swimming today." Mr. LaRosa smiled evilly and waggled his finger at me, the other beaten down dry hand holding out a thin one piece to me. "Meet me, and the rest of the students, downstairs in five minutes. In uniform." He smacked it into my chest and walked away, muttering something to himself.

I walked into the locker room, resisting the urge to bite my nails. Elena was there, already in her swim suit, stretching her arms above her head. She eyed the bathing suit in my hand and I clutched it tighter, like it was my life line though I knew it'd be the death of me. 

"Swimming today?" she sneered. I shot her a hard core glare and locked myself in a bathroom stall, cautiously putting on the bathing suit. I stepped out, self conscious and unsure of what I was going to do.

"Yeah," I said breathlessly, dropping the heap of my school clothes into a locker. "I am, I guess." I had no idea what my words had just gotten me into. I could hear Diana gossiping away with Kate Murphy.

"And my Aidan-boo is going to be there, too. Shirtless." Diana flaunted. "And he has abs."

"Are you two like...dating?" Kate asked, gasping. "He's your Aidan-boo! How cute!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. Spare me. He's no more your Aidan-boo than he is my Cuddly Cutie Kins." Elena tried not to laugh, because she hates me. 

"Well, we'll see. I have him wrapped around my pinkie finger."

"Care to wager?"

"What are the terms," she breathed, walking up to me. 

"Simple," Kate chirped. "Whichever one attracts Aidan the most by the end of this period wins! Me and Elena will judge!"

"What?" Elena and I shouted in unison. The bell rang.

"Oh no no no, I did not agree to this," Elena said as we all headed down the cold steps to the pool level. 

"It's happening, teacher's pet," Diana sneered as she pushed past us all and into the pool room. I sighed, crossed my heart, and stepped through the tough metal door into my doom. 

Shoving my way with the rest of the girls, we erupted into the pool room. The humid air swirled about and all I could smell was chlorine and plastic. It scared me, thinking of what would come. I faked a cough.

"Oh no, you are not sick, young lady," Mr. LaRosa said, stalking up to me. "And you are getting in that pool one way or another." I could see Diana snaking her arms around Aidan's neck as LaRosa shoved me.

Into the pool. 

The water was to thick to climb out. I had a minute before I changed. I tried to work my way through the water.

"Shit," I heard Aidan grumble. There was a wild look in his eyes as he shook Diana off him.

No, no, don't change. No, no, not now. I squeezed my fists and stood frozen on the spot, waiting for the tingles. Don't change. I pinched my thighs and prayed for the best. I prayed people wouldn't notice. I prayed they wouldn't care. I prayed I wouldn't fail or get sent off to a research facility in America. 

A minute passed. No tingles. I looked down to see my toes wiggling underwater. Confused, I looked at Aidan, mimicking his wild look. His mouth dropped open in a sort of sign language only the two of us could understand.

"There. You are in the pool. Now was that so bad?" the gym teacher asked me. I blinked again and stood speechless. I tried to take a step to discover that my legs still worked. 

"Not bad at all," I whispered.

Aidan jumped in the water and enclosed me in a hug, so his mouth was pressed near my ear. 

"How?" he whispered. I shrugged and tried to move my legs through the water again. Aidan released me as I walked. Then I dove under and swam, kicking my two separate limbs back and forth. I was cruising, but certainly not as fast as with a tail. It was a bit frustrating, actually. 

Diana shoved her way to the front of the diving board line. She climbed to the top and did some weird twisty flip thing into the water. When she erupted, she dog paddled over to Aidan and smiled at him. 

"Impressive, huh?" she cooed. 

"Looked more like you were having a seizure in the air if you ask me," Aidan snorted. I cupped my hand over my mouth to cover my laugh. I ducked underwater and open my eyes, my vision still crystal clear. I kicked my legs and wiggled my toes, staring at them in amazement through the aqua water. The chlorine stung my eyes and burned my nose, which was trying to breathe normally. I was  just like a mermaid, but I was missing the tail. 

I pushed myself out from the depths of the pool and splashed up next to Aidan. I pecked him on the cheek, looking deviously in Diana's direction. Aidan pulled me underwater and kissed me on the lips. I smiled, then let him go up for air.

"Okay, class, warmups! Five laps!" 

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"I swear, it was so weird," I gushed to Nate during lunch. "I was in the water, and I prayed and pinched myself and then there was no tail! Do you think I'm still a mermaid?" I added in a hushed whisper.

"I don't know, you say you had the same powers...clear vision, breathing underwater..." he trailed off, thinking. "Maybe you prayed or did something? You can control when you grow a tail?"

"Oh my God, I hope. That'd make everything soo much easier. Oh, sshh, here's Paisley." Paisley was balancing her phone between her ear and her shoulder, with pizza in one hand and a SoBe water in the other. 

"Hey guys," she said, her voice strained as she set everything down on the table. She hung up her phone and sat down. "What's new?"

"Nothing," Nate said.

"Everything's cool," Aidan said.

"I went swimming," I told her. 

"Oh my God, really?" she asked, shocked. I raised an eyebrow. "'Ya know, you always were soo deathly afraid of water. That's awesome!" She took a bite of pizza then took a swig of strawberry dragonfruit water.

"Yeah, and the swim unit isn't so bad," I said, staring devilishly at Diana across the room. 

Everything was better now, and I was glad a little luck rolled my way. Now I wouldn't have to worry about changing in public. But hello, Ash, you are still a mermaid and two humans know your secret and you like them both and you're an idiot. I frowned and stuffed my face with hamburger.

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